Naval & Military Press Sale

[nigelcave]

Reference space. Jack Sheldon came to visit me and sent me an architectural plan of a suggested renovation on his return. Not totally satisfied - I think I should  swop the bathroom and kitchen. Otherwise it looks fine.

 

 

Edited 31 January , 2019 by nigelcave

[Marilyne]

What else does one need????

 

 

M.

[keithmroberts]

I think despite the impact on space a guest reading/sleeping room might be beneficial.

[nigelcave]

Hmm: come to think of it, a front door would be handy - possibly into the bedroom, to save wall space in the library? Suggestions?

1 minute ago, keithmroberts said:

I think despite the impact on space a guest reading/sleeping room might be beneficial.

That's what the garden shed is for. It got omitted from the plan, alas.

[Steven Broomfield]

Could you not just have a sink in the corner of the bedroom?

[The Scorer]

Well, you could save some space in the bedroom area by just having a camp bed which you'd collapse every morning and re-erect every evening? 

 

There's also scope for reducing the kitchen and bathroom areas by using some very basic facilities? This could be a camp stove etc., for the former, but I'll not go into any details about the latter!  

[nigelcave]

On 01/02/2019 at 09:34, The Scorer said:

Well, you could save some space in the bedroom area by just having a camp bed which you'd collapse every morning and re-erect every evening? 

 

 

When I lived in our house in Ely Place in central London in the late 90s I was reduced to the expedient of a 'put you up' type bed (actually a rather superior one) to fit everything into the single room I had. What may have been OK twenty plus years ago would not suit the aged bones any more, I fear. What was worse about that room was that it was up three flights of stairs in a narrow Georgian townhouse; the experience of moving them when I moved out in 1999 must have been so traumatic that I cannot now quite remember how I achieved it!

Since then they - about 3,000 of them - have been to the Gin and Jag belt in Surrey, traversed the continent to Stresa, northern Italy for twelve years or so and are now resident in what was a five bedroom house in Leicestershire: and I am still short of space.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear nigelcave,

That sounds very much like the travels experienced by many of my books (but cutting out the Gin and Jag bit).

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[nigelcave]

During a bad bout of 'flu over Christmas I was reduced to watching day time TV (I know, I know), in particular Escape to the Country, where various punters want to move from the city to the country and are taken around suitable houses according to their budgets. What fascinated me is that I cannot recall one house they visited where the need for book storage actually was considered. I should have been born in the eighteenth or early nineteenth century, when libraries (admittedly for a very restricted segment of society, armed with plenty of brass) were such a feature of a house. You can keep your electronic books .... baa humbug!

 

Seriously, I appreciate how privileged I am to be able to cover the walls of an entire house with bookshelves. Only the kitchen (which is tiny), the staircase (too narrow) and the bathrooms have escaped that fate.

[Steven Broomfield]

Mrs Broomfield and I are plnning a revamp of Broomfield Acres this year, and book shelving is occupying a surprisingly large part of my planning. I fear, too, that it will occupy a reasonable amount of negotiating time as well.

[MartH]

The famous Napoleonic collector John Sandler started collecting with his tuck box money and became a rather successful solicitor. I recall Victor when cataloging a lifetimes devotion saying he lived in a large house, with 11 rooms devoted to books, "though some shelves where doubled banked so in reality it was more than 11 large rooms". He also knew where every book was.

 

I myself will begin disposing of duplicates encouraged by my new wife, my friends have opened a book on the monies received. After all do you really need: 2 Occupation of the Rhineland's,  2 Medical sets, 7 Gallipoli's, 5 Egypt and Palestine, 2 France and Belgium, 5 Italy's, 4 Togoland's, 5 Roskills, 5 Victory in the West, 2 Frontiers and Overseas Expeditions form India, etc, .....

[Gibbo]

On 31/01/2019 at 10:25, nigelcave said:

Hmm: come to think of it, a front door would be handy - possibly into the bedroom, to save wall space in the library? Suggestions?

That's what the garden shed is for. It got omitted from the plan, alas.

 

My front door opens into a hallway. The space on its walls that is not taken up by doors into other rooms is occupied by bookcases.

[MikeyH]

Some years ago, on a book buying foray, I visited a master at Rugby School.  His whole house was jammed with books.  Had to walk very carefully down the entrance hall, with books piled either side floor to ceiling.  Think he was a batchelor!

 

Mike.

 

Edited 3 February , 2019 by MikeyH

[The Scorer]

I received a newspaper-style "publication" in the post yesterday from N&MP advertising their sale. 

 

 

The good news is that I really don't need most of them …. but the bad news is that there are around half a dozen that I do!!

[Steven Broomfield]

On 03/02/2019 at 12:31, MartH said:

 

 

I myself will begin disposing of duplicates encouraged by my new wife, my friends have opened a book on the monies received. After all do you really need: 2 Occupation of the Rhineland's,  2 Medical sets, 7 Gallipoli's, 5 Egypt and Palestine, 2 France and Belgium, 5 Italy's, 4 Togoland's, 5 Roskills, 5 Victory in the West, 2 Frontiers and Overseas Expeditions form India, etc, .....

 

Slippey slope, old boy. Slippery slope.

[MartH]

23 minutes ago, Steven Broomfield said:

Slippey slope, old boy. Slippery slope.

 

Yes I know we are establishing a very dangerous precedent and the monies made might go to a new kitchen. But do I really need hundreds of duplicates?

[Steven Broomfield]

Swapsies?

[MartH]

1 hour ago, Steven Broomfield said:

Swapsies?

 

I would love to swap duplicates for one of my wants. Two problems 1) Only ever done it once in 37 years of collecting and 2) What I am after is rarer that Ress Mogg investing money in Europe.

 

Having said all that the book I swapped for was Operations in Persia, had to add some cash too!

[Robin Garrett]

On ‎03‎/‎02‎/‎2019 at 11:36, Steven Broomfield said:

Mrs Broomfield and I are plnning a revamp of Broomfield Acres this year, and book shelving is occupying a surprisingly large part of my planning. I fear, too, that it will occupy a reasonable amount of negotiating time as well.

Mrs G has said that when we downsize the new house must include a library. Having just spent some time moving books from a bookcase that covers all of one wall in our drawing room at Garrett Towers to under the dining room table to allow redecoration, I suggested that we could cull some books. A rather dusty answer was given.